A Guide to the Gautrain

August 29 2023

The Gautrain is an 80-kilometre mass rapid transit railway system in the Gauteng Province, constructed to relieve the traffic congestion in the Johannesburg–Pretoria traffic corridor and offers commuters a viable alternative to road transport in both cities.

The project was announced in 2000 and the first part of the system was opened to the public on 8 June 2010, in time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

There are ten Gautrain stations in operation, two of which are situated in Pretoria. One being Pretoria Station (located adjacent to the existing Pretoria Main Station) and the other, Hatfield Station (located within the Hatfield Business Node east of the Pretoria CBD).

The other stations include Centurion, Midrand, Marlboro, Sandton, Rodesbank, Rhodesfield and O.R. Tambo International Airport.

The Gautrain is connected to other forms of public transport like taxis, buses and the Metrorail public train system. These services are fully integrated and may be used separately or jointly by transferring from one to another.

The Gauteng SWIFT Card

To access the Gautrain train or bus service, each passenger is required to possess a Gautrain Card with a minimum value of R30 loaded onto it. Alternatively, you may use your Contactless bank card to travel on the Gautrain, bus and parking included.

You can top your SWIFT Card using cash, debit cards or credit cards. This can be done at all ticket offices and ticket vending machines at any Gautrain station, as well as the app that can be downloaded on your Phone “Gauteng app”.Also you can tag a ride with your contactless bank card once it has been registered on the gautrain website go here

Parking

Motorists can travel to the stations and leave their cars at safe parking bays which are next to the train stations.

Parking at the stations costs:

Parking Period	Rail User Return	Non-Rail User
0 – 15min	Free	Free
15min – 1hr	R 18	R 18
1hr – 24hr	R 22	R 126
Two days	R 60	R 252
Three days	R 93	R 378
Four days	R 126	R 504
Five days	R 159	R 630
Six days	R 192	R 756
Seven days	R 225	R 882
Eight days	R 258	R 1008
Nine days	R 291	R 1134
Ten days	R 324	R 1260
After 10 days	R 324 plus R 126 for each extra day	R 1260 plus R 126 for every extra day.

Remember to make sure you’ve loaded enough pay as you go value to pay for your parking.

Car Parks Opening and Closing times (Same time as the Station):

STATION	OPENING	CLOSING
Park	05:14	21:28
Rosebank	05:18	21:24
Sandton	05:06	21:20
Marlboro	05:10	21:15
Midrand	05:33	21:09
Centurion	05:24	21:18–21:20
Pretoria	05:17	21:20–21:22
Hatfield	05:09	21:22
Rhodesfield	05:14	21:12
OR Tambo	05:12	21:14

Approximate last train departure times per station (subject to operational changes).

Gautrain Bus Service

To use the bus service, a Gautrain Card with a minimum value of R 30 loaded onto it is required. No cash is accepted on our trains, buses or at the station parking exit booms.

Gautrain Bus Service opening and closing times:

STATION	OPENING	CLOSING
Park	05:14	21:28
Rosebank	05:18	21:24
Sandton	05:06	21:20
Marlboro	05:10	21:15
Midrand	05:33	21:09
Centurion	05:24	21:08
Pretoria	05:17	21:17
Hatfield	05:09	21:22
Rhodesfield	05:14	21:12
OR Tambo	05:12	21:14

Timetables are subject to change and should be verified on the official Gautrain website before travel.

For Detailed Bus Route go _hereto download the pdf for the area or areas that you plan to travel

Touch the Gautrain SWIFT card or Contactless Bank card (If registered) to ticket the reader on the bus, wait for the green light and beeping sound to indicate validation.

*No Gautrain bus services on weekends or public holidays.

Pretoria Stations

The Pretoria Station is adjoined to the railway lines and platforms of the existing Pretoria Station, where transfer can take place between the Metro rail services and the Gautrain, as well as other public transport services.

Destinations including City Hall, Burgers Park and Salvokop are located within walking distance from the station.

The Pretoria Station’s Gautrain Bus route travels through Pretoria CBD and stops close to popular tourist attractions such as the State Library, Post Office Museum, Transport Museum, Cultural History Museum and Kruger House.

The Hatfield Station is located within the Hatfield Business Node, and bounded by School Lane in the north, Duncan Street in the east, the existing railway line in the south and Grosvenor Street in the west.

Walking distance from the station is The Hatfield Plaza Shopping Centre as well as Hatfield Square, a popular open plaza surrounded by clubs and bars. Loftus Versfeld Stadium, SDI Innovation Hub, Pretoria Boys’ and Pretoria Girls’ High Schools, the University of Pretoria and the University’s Sport Grounds are all located within a 2km radius around the station.

The Hatfield Station’s Gautrain Bus route travels through Lynnwood, Arcadia, Waverly, Menlyn and Brooklyn.

Are you a regular Gautrain user? Download the Gautrain app on your phone an register there to get alerts, you can also Top Up your Gautrain SWIFT Card once you added your banking card details, check and plan trips (Bus and Train).

More information featuring the Gautrain

Detailed information on the Gautrain routes, stations, bus services and bus stops is available on their website and in the following links below. Alternatively, there are brochures available at all of the Gautrain stations or you can call 0800-GAUTRAIN or 0800 428 87246 (Toll-free) The Customer Care team is operational Monday to Sunday between 05:30 and 20:00 with a voicemail system after hours.